Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Follow the American Nationals Live!

Hey folks! I've been in Canada for the past two days training with the Canadian national team. The tournament starts tomorrow (July 16th). I'm representing USA on the American Nationals. You can follow all the action live at baseball.ca.
They will post scores, stats, and play-by-play action! I'll post a recap of the whole experience when I get back.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Oh Canada!

On July 13th, I depart for Montreal, Canada to play in the Canadian Invitational International Women's Baseball Tournament, for Team America (official name TBA). I'm psyched! I've also gotten permission to train with the Canadian National Team before the tournament, which will be awesome!!! From what I've heard, Canada has a fantastic girls/women's baseball program with top-notch coaches. They have several baseball leagues for girls, unlike here, where girls are expected to play softball. I'll learn a lot from the coaches there and hope to come back an even better ballplayer. An intense week of baseball awaits!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Finally a New Post!




It's been an eternity since I updated my blog. Sorry for the wait! There are so many baseball happenings, I don't even know where to begin. Okay, I'll start with some updates:

The Shoulder: All good! I think I was misdiagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis. It was actually a bunch of work-related trigger points in my shoulder. I still get 'em all over, but it doesn't affect my pitching and I know how to work them out.

The Baltimore Tourney and Men's Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL):

Great people, Great times! The one thing both have in common - heartbreaking end-of-game losses!

My team, the East Coast Yankees went 2-2 in the tournament. The two losses happened at the very end of the game, one in the seventh inning (we play seven inning games), and one in the 10th inning (extra innings). I pitched one complete-game to get the win, earned one save, and batted .375. Despite the losses, it was a great tournament. The Eastern Women's Baseball Conference did a fantastic job as organizers.

In the CNMSBL, my team the River Bandits have had similar end-of-game losses. We have a strong team but have often struggled defensively, losing many games to errors and walks. Our record so far is 1-8. Half of our team are new players including myself, and having had no pre-season practices, I think our manager is just now figuring out where to best utilize his players. With 27 players on the roster, that's no easy task.

As far as my teammates go, I can't say enough positive things about them! They respect me as a ballplayer and pretty much treat me like one of the guys. The dugout is always positive and full of energy. We have the talent, it's just a matter of time before we start stringing together some wins.

One of my goals coming in was to earn a starting position on the team, and I accomplished that as a pitcher. We still have 17 games left before playoffs, so plenty more opportunities for some W's!

Women's Baseball in the Olympics:
Huge strides are happening as we speak to further the development of women's baseball. Whether or not baseball gets into the Olympics is in the hands of the International Olympic Committee, which makes its decision in October. Nevertheless, I am stoked about all the progress that's being made by IBAF to mainstream girls/womens baseball across the globe. They formed a global Women's Baseball Committee to ensure that women's baseball has the growth necessary for nations to compete in the 2016 Olympics. They will also be adding a women's division to the 2013 World Baseball Classic! So, plenty to strive for, both as a player and an advocate!

Baseball Happenings to Come:

Representing USA at another International Tournament:
I'll have another opportunity to represent my country July 16th - 19th at the Canadian Invitational International Tournament! As you know, I played in my first international tournament in Hong Kong this past February and helped the North America Liberty Belles take silver. This time I'm going for gold with a newly formed American team. I'm psyched! Only four teams have been invited to this tournament - America, Japan, and two Canadian National teams. I've never been to Canada before. I'm arriving a couple days early to site-see in Montreal, then it's 7 games of baseball in 4 days!

Chicago Women's Baseball League (CWBL): The local women's league I play in starts June 14th. My team, the Chicago Riveters are the reigning champions, and we hope to defend our title this season. I'm upset about a new rule that the league imposed, which I just found out about. The new rule states that pitchers can only pitch 4 innings a game. With only 11 active players on our roster and no other pitchers on our team, it'll make for some long innings. It concerns me that untrained pitchers are being thrown on the mound in game situations. In the past, this has led to many arm injuries in our league. Proper mechanics are crucial when it comes to pitching and saving arms. Hopefully the rule won't stick. If you're interested in coming to a game, we play at Bedford Park and this is our schedule.

Chicago North Mens Senior Baseball League (CNMSBL):
Still 17 games left, then playoffs for my team, The River Bandits. I really enjoy playing in a men's league. Less drama and a higher level of competition than the women's leagues. We have 14 teams in our division and tons of games. Playing against guys has really improved my pitching. Many of these guys played college ball and even minor league ball. If you miss those corners or make a bad pitch choice, you'll definitely pay for it. The CNMSBL competition level is comparable to national and international women's baseball tournaments, so it's great preparation for all the upcoming tourneys. We play in the northwest suburbs so if you're ever in the area, come out check out a game! Here's our schedule.

Kenosha Diamond Classic:
July 4th weekend, I'll be playing with the Washington Stars at the Kenosha Diamond Classic at Simmons Field in Kenosha, WI.

AWBF Women's National Tournament: October 9-11 I'll be playing with the East Coast Yankees at the AWBF Women's National Tournament at League Stadium in Huntingburg, IN. It's the same stadium that they filmed A League of Their Own in!

Women in Baseball Night: The Schaumburg Flyers, a professional Minor League baseball team is going to have a "Women in Baseball Night" at Alexian Field. Me and the CWBL will be playing an exhibition inning or two at the stadium before the Flyers game. The date is TBA, but I'll be selling tickets for the game, so tune in for updates!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Tourney!

I'm in Baltimore! I'm playing for the East Coast Yankees at the Baltimore-Washington Diamond Invitational women's baseball tournament. You can find our schedule at http://www.easternwomensbaseball.com/news/8/. I'll post updates as the tournament progresses.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Getting Back in the Game

The Baseball Gods must be looking out for me! My first 3 games in the Chicago North Men's Senior Baseball League have been cancelled due to rain, buying me extra recovery time. I haven't thrown a baseball in almost 3-weeks - a personal record I can't say I'm proud of.

I've been doing physical therapy everyday for the past week. Yesterday my PT tested my shoulder for strength. The week before I couldn't keep my arm up at 45 degrees when she pressed down, and this week I could without pain! So I think I'm pretty close to a full recovery. I still have minor pain on the upper part of my shoulder but it comes and goes. I'm going to do some light throwing today and hopefully I'll be able to play in the game Sunday . . . if it doesn't rain.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

One Step Forward Two Steps Back

Good and bad stuff happened this week.

The best news is that Donna Lopiano agreed to chair the IBAF Women's Baseball Committee. I've heard awesome things about Donna, and as you can see from her bio, she has the know-how and experience to make things happen. My friends Andre LaChance (Baseball Canada) and Sandra Monteiro (Baseball Portugal) are also on the committee. I couldn't think of better folks for the task that lies ahead.

Fellow blogger Jimmy Scott of Jimmy Scott's High and Tight recently wrote an entertaining blog about Donna, the Committee, and me. His blogs always give me a good laugh. Take a look.

I became a board member of the American Women's Baseball Federation, a non-profit organization that promotes baseball as a mainstream and lifetime opportunity for women in the United States and around the world. We share the same philosophies about the growth of women's baseball, so I look forward to accomplishing great things with the AWBF.

Now the bad: I injured my throwing shoulder a couple weeks ago. It started when I reached down awkwardly to pick up an I-Pass from the floor of my car. I felt a strain in my right shoulder, didn't think much of it and went to practice as usual. I threw great at practice, so great that I never wanted to stop. I kept throwing and throwing and throwing for 2.5 hours. When I got home the pain started and I couldn't lift my arm above my head, yipes!

Historically, I never experience any pain from throwing, never had to ice my arm or anything, so this worried me a bit. I took a couple days off and went at it again. Not good. I took a few more days off and tried again. Still pain. I finally went to a specialist yesterday. Diagnosis: Rotator Cuff Tendinitis. What? Sounds awful but the prognosis is actually pretty good. Some physical therapy and I should be back on the mound within weeks. I'd been throwing hard everyday since June '08 without a break, and now rest and rehab is on the agenda. My men's league starts this week, and I'm on the DL :-(

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Support Women's Baseball for 2016 Olympics!

I started a group on Facebook called "Support Women's Baseball for 2016 Olympics" with the goal of retaining 10,000 members. This will show the International Olympic Committee and MLB that we are serious, and that there IS a market for women's baseball.

Please join this group and spread the word as much as you can, and as globally as you can!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Olympic Update!

In an earlier post I spoke about going to the Sport Accord to help the International Baseball Federation get baseball back in the Olympics. I was there as the women's baseball representative. My ultimate hope was that IBAF would decide to add women's baseball to their proposal for reinstatement. I am thrilled to report that IBAF made the official announcement today - women's baseball will be added! This is a major step forward, but the real work is just beginning. Now IBAF must convince the IOC of baseball's global popularity and work to further develop women's baseball programs worldwide.

You can help the cause, simply by joining the Facebook page: IBAF - Bring Baseball Back in 2016! This decision will provide so many more options for girls who prefer to play baseball over softball, and for women who have been breaking barriers for years, playing baseball in the Olympics is the ultimate dream come true!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Comes to Chicago


The IOC is coming to town! Chicago is one of 4 cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympics. The IOC will spend 6 days inspecting our fair city before visiting Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid. They will announce their final decision on October 2nd. Being the great baseball city that it is, Chicago would be the perfect locale to bring back baseball! They may even become the first city in the world to host Olympic Women's Baseball! Come on IOC members! Vote to reinstate baseball in the 2016 Olympics and bring it right here to my home town, Chicago!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

IBAF Tours Prince George - Possible Location for the 2010 Women’s World Cup

THE WORLD IS TAKING NOTE
Written by Jason Peters, Citizen staff
Monday, 30 March 2009


Prince George may be a few signatures away from hosting the 2010 Women’s World Cup of Baseball.

The city, with the full backing of Baseball Canada, has submitted a bid for the tournament. Recently, Australia’s John Ostermeyer, secretary general for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), was in town for meetings and a tour and was left with a positive overall impression.

For sports fans, and for the profile of Prince George, that’s good news.
“We have to go through some official protocols, but hopefully we’ll get an announcement in the next couple of weeks,” said Virginia Sprangers, a 2009 World Baseball Challenge committee member who has been working toward bringing the 2010 women’s championship to Prince George.

“There are a couple of things the local hosting committee needs to do. We have to determine the feasibility of hosting this event from a financial perspective, given the economy. But it doesn’t matter where the world event is going to be, there are going to be those struggles and those challenges.”

The idea of hosting the 2010 Women’s World Cup was first raised by Baseball Canada’s Andre Lachance when he was here last June for 2009 World Baseball Challenge meetings. The WBC is July 16-26 and will bring together eight men’s clubs, including the U.S. and Canadian national teams.

Lachance, who lives in Ottawa, was contacted by The Citizen on Monday. He said Baseball Canada will be nudging the IBAF to make its decision as soon as possible.

“We’re going to press them a little bit to make some kind of an announcement as soon as Virginia and her group are ready to go forward,” said Lachance, manager of baseball operations for the national organization and head coach of the Team Canada women. “It’s about 18 months away from that potential event, so the more time we have for (the host committee) to prepare and for us also to prepare, the better. The host country, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to perform at a high level. We want to do it right.”

Team Canada won a silver medal at the eight-team 2008 World Cup, which was held in Japan. The World Cup was in Chinese Taipei in 2006 and in Edmonton in 2004. If Prince George is successful in landing the 2010 World Cup, it will be played at Citizen Field.

As an added bonus for local fans, Prince George’s Amanda Asay is one of the stars in the Team Canada lineup. All things considered, Lachance regards P.G. as the perfect fit for the tournament.

“I’ve been telling (Ostermeyer) about what great people you guys are and how great you have been in the past,” Lachance said, referring to the highly-successful Baseball Canada Senior Championship of 2002, which was held in Prince George.

“If the host committee can afford it and get the people together to host that event, that would be great. Women’s baseball is growing a lot in Canada. In some provinces it’s now 12 to 15 per cent of the membership, which is awesome. And we have a Prince George player on the national team so it’s a slam dunk. Everything is there for a great event.”

Friday, March 27, 2009

The 2009 Sport Accord


Just wrapped up a 1.5-day stint at the 2009 Sport Accord, a gathering of leading sport officials from around the globe. The talk of the conference was the upcoming Olympic IOC vote, happening in Copenhagen, Denmark on Oct. 2nd. I was representing women in baseball for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). The goal: to get baseball back in the 2016 Olympics.

I spent the day at the IBAF exhibit booth with former Major League pitchers, Steve Rogers and Rick Helling. It was fun hearing about some of their experiences in the big leagues and talk pitching.

I also had a discussion with IBAF president, Harvey Schiller and Portugese Baseball Federation President, Sandra Monteiro about developing women's baseball around the globe. The next World Baseball Classic is in 2013, and if all goes well, a women's division will be included.

If you haven't yet, be sure to join the facebook group: International Baseball Federation (IBAF) - Bring Back Baseball in 2016! so we can get baseball back in 2016!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Representing Women in Baseball: Getting Women's Baseball in the 2016 Olympics

The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is flying me to Denver this week! I'll be representing women in baseball at the 2009 Sport Accord. Over 2,000 sport officials will be there including many International Olympic Committee members. I'll be meeting with IBAF president Dr. Harvey Schiller to talk about potentially including women's baseball in the IBAF's bid for baseball reinstatement. If you haven't seen it already, read this article: IBAF Considers Women's Baseball. It really got the ball rolling!

I'm so excited about this important opportunity. I've often talked about women's baseball making it into the Olympics, and now it may actually happen! There's so much momentum, now is the time to seize the moment and change the face of women's baseball!

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 4: The Championship

We won the Championship!!!
Not only did we win, but we blew the Diamondbacks away 21-1! Our pitcher was on fire, smoking fastballs and curves right by the batters. I played the entire game at second base, making some good outs including the final out of the game. I went 1 for 3 with a single, two ground outs, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks.

The other team was kind of cocky so I'm glad we clobbered them. Overall this was a great tournament and I couldn't have asked for a better team to play my first men's tournament with.

I really enjoy playing with guys. They're competitive and they play hard which is how I like to play. Watching my teammates hit out-of-the-park home runs from the dugout was awesome! Each day they went further and further!

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hit the faster pitching, but I did fine. I found out that I actually do better against faster pitching. I was also worried that I'd get clobbered on the mound, but the other team barely hit me.

I mixed up the speeds a lot to throw them off balance and mentally wore them down. I noticed that very few pitchers at the tournament mixed up speeds very much. This surprised me. I guess guys tend to rely on brute strength. This was a good lesson for me to learn - faster is not necessarily better. The mental aspect and the combination of pitches is just as important, if not more-so. I've been told this many times before and always wanted to believe it were true. I needed to experience it first hand, and now that I have, I have more confidence moving forward.


Me with the team MVP and star pitcher


My catcher! The guy's a rock! He caught all 4 games and nailed a bunch of runners at second and third.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 3

My team, the Indians lost our first game this morning 20-13. We started off great and were up 13-10 at the start of the 6th inning. Our guy Jay even hit a grand slam home run out of the park and Joe followed with a 3-run shot. But our pitchers struggled with control and the majority of the runs given up were on walks. I played the entire game at second base. It was a lot of fun, I turned a double-play and got a few outs. At the plate I grounded out, walked twice and was struck out on a very questionable 3-2 pitch.

We still made the Championships and will have a chance at revenge tomorrow morning when we play the same team, the Diamondbacks. If we can get the pitching under control, we stand a great chance to come out ahead. Wish us luck!

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 2

What a great day of baseball! I was a little nervous taking the mound today, being my first men's tournament, but all went well. I pitched the entire 7-inning game (it was supposed to go 9, but they surrendered after 7), giving up 3 runs for a final score of 29-3! My team was awesome yet again! Inning after inning we'd score the 5-run limit (the rule for the tournament is a team can only score 5 runs per inning, then switch no matter how many outs there are). As the game went on I got more confident and relaxed and was able to pull off more 1,2,3 innings, with the help of my team of course.

After the game, we went to the Cubs vs. Padres Spring Training game and the Cubs won 5-2, so a great day of baseball overall! At the game, I heard that some players from the other team were talking smack when they found out that I, a girl, was going to be the starting pitcher. They were so frustrated when they couldn't hit off me. I also found out that I turned their pitcher's toe black & blue when I hit a hard grounder up the middle. I felt kinda bad about that one. Later on, players from the opposing team tried to recruit me for their teams in Indiana, so I guess I earned their respect after all :)

My team had my back the whole game. I feel extremely lucky that I was put on a team with such a great group of guys. The president of NABA came to the game to watch me pitch (the first-time a woman pitched in a NABA tournament). He stayed for the whole game and expressed how much he supports women in baseball. I think I made a lot of people aware that women can play baseball just as well as the guys, and that's a big step forward for the growth of women's baseball. Two more games left, stay tuned!

Friday, March 20, 2009

NABA Spring Training Experience - Day 1


My debut in men's baseball was a blast! I was a little nervous about how my teammates would react to having a girl on the team, but they were so cool. I played the entire game at second base (only the second time in my life that I've played there) and was able to make some key plays. I went 2 for 2 with two singles, two walks, and a couple of stolen bases. We wound up beating the Yankees 19-6.

My team is phenomenal! They're all pretty young and can crush the ball! These are 4 guys from my team:

I think we have a great chance to take the tournament. The ball is definitely hit a lot harder in men's baseball than in women's, so playing defense is a lot more fun and challenging.

There was a banquet dinner tonight - prime rib, mmmmmmm. I sat with my team and they told me they were bragging about me to the other teams and wanted to see me take the mound. That was a pleasant surprise.

I got to meet a lot of cool people tonight. Rollie Fingers was the surprise guest speaker, he had great stories to tell and was super nice. He signed my ball and took a picture with me.

Before the night was over, my manager came over and told me I'd be the starting pitcher tomorrow! Wow, I wasn't expecting that! After seeing the guys on our team pitch, I didn't think I'd take the mound at all this tournament. Our pitchers were awesome today, and I just hope I'm able to hold my own. I'll have great defense behind me, so as long as I keep the hitters off-balance and pitch the corners, I should be fine. An exciting day lies ahead!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Men's Baseball!

On Thursday, I'll be playing in my first men's baseball tournament - the NABA Spring Training Experience - in Mesa, AZ. I'm stoked! Growing up, I played exclusively with guys, and I really miss it. Playing with women can be . . . challenging. Insecurities and drama tend to get in the way of good, old-fashioned baseball. I'll be on the Indians in the 18+ open division and will post game results daily.

In April, I start my first season with the 45+ River Bandits in the Chicago North MSBL (Men's Senior Baseball League). I'm not 45, but the league president recommended that women play in that division. Believe it or not, there are 2 other women on my team and 3 other women in the division! We were all first round draft picks and have been treated great by fellow league players. I think it'll be an awesome season!

Monday, March 2, 2009

2009 Hong Kong International Phoenix Cup A Detailed Recap as Promised


Find more photos like this on CheckSwing.net




Hong Kong ROCKS! I tip my hat to the Hong Kong Baseball Association and Kitty Au for putting together a spectacular tournament. I was impressed by how well organized it was. The player fee was extremely low by American baseball standards and included a 5-night hotel stay, two uniforms (which looked awesome), daily breakfast, boxed lunches (blech!), a banquet dinner, and shuttle service to/from the ballpark/hotel. The umpires came from all over the world, including two cutups from Australia (Aussies are insane, but in a good way!)


Day 1 started off with Japan beating Taiwan 11-0, followed by an opening ceremony, which included a dragon dance and a tai-chi demonstration. The big shots from the Hong Kong Baseball Association and the embassy were all there and many of them gave welcome speeches. All the teams (North America, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and Taiwan) were introduced and a catcher from each team caught a ball from a suit-wearing representative.

After that, about a million pictures were taken with all the different teams. It was a friendly and inviting atmosphere. It was surreal to see so many Asian faces on the ball field. Usually mine is the only one! I expected them all to speak perfect English, since the only Asians I encounter are the 2nd generation American ones. Turns out there was one other Asian American there. Her name is Hanna and she plays for South Korea. She's the one in the picture above.

I'm really glad we didn't have to play a game that first day. All that picture taking was distracting and kind of exhausting! Now I know what Angelina Jolie feels like!

We stuck around to watch South Korea defeat Hong Kong. The game was real close until the 4th inning when South Korea's bats came alive. The final score had South Korea ahead 14-4. We went back to the hotel to change, then went to get some eats while Japan won their second game, defeating Australia 11-1.


Day 2 was an exciting one. We had a double header against South Korea and Hong Kong. These were our only two pool games, so we had to win both to clinch our division. I was starting the first game against South Korea and was way too excited. We ate an early breakfast at the hotel, then the shuttle brought us to the field an hour-and-a-half early to meet up with our coach. We took some batting practice and loosened up our arms to prepare for the game.

Overall I pitched okay, but it wasn't my best outing. I let the umpire's tough calls shake me a bit and got a little tense. I couldn't figure out where her strike zone was - I tried the inside corner and it was called a ball, then the outside corner and it was also called a ball, so for an inning I found myself aiming it down the middle, which is never a good thing. After that inning, I loosened up and finished strong. I ended up giving up 2 or 3 hits the whole game, but I hit two batters and gave up a few walks, which is not typical for me.

We ended up winning 10-5. It felt good to get the W and record our first win of the day. Both teams lined up and bowed to each other. The other team were all smiles, despite their loss. We then bowed to the fans, then bowed to the field. In Asia, it's important to show respect for each other and for the game. I really like that about the culture.

Before our second game, Coach Philipe took us through a dynamic warm-up which consisted of running drills, explosive movements, and moving stretches. Then we did some throwing warm-ups and took infield practice. I was the starting shortstop, backing up our pitcher, Sam. I had a good day at short, committing 0 errors and forcing a lot of outs. I was the leadoff hitter and went 1 for 3 with a single, a walk, and two stolen bases. We ended up with our second W, beating Hong Kong 18-5 and clinching our division. Taiwan ended up beating Australia 7-5 in an upset, which meant we'd be playing Taiwan in the semi-finals.

We went out as a team to Temple Street Market to celebrate our wins. There were tables set out on the street. We ate crab, mussels, and other delicacies, and then shopped the open market. We ran into my friends, Jenn and Rob, some of Jill's friends, and the Aussie umpires. Hong Kong is not a small city, so running into all those folks was kind of crazy! One of the Aussie umps totally admitted to blowing a call on a play I had made at 3rd base. She was so funny that I had to forgive her.

We took a cab back to the hotel and crashed till morning.


Day 3 - Our semi-final game against Taiwan wasn't slated till the afternoon so we got to sleep in. I woke up with the worst MSG headache from dinner the night before. Ugh. After breakfast, Kelly, Ryan, and I ventured out for some shopping. Before we knew it, it was time for shuttle pick-up. We hustled back to the hotel where we found the rest of the Liberty Belles in full uniform in the lobby. Yipes! We ran upstairs, changed as fast as we could, gathered our gear, and hoped we didn't miss the bus. Made it just in time, phew!

At the field, we did our dynamic warm-ups, and prepared mentally for the big game. I was starting at shortstop again. The first inning went great for us with solid defensive plays and three easy outs. There were some questionable calls by the home plate ump, which their first base coach verbally questioned. He continued to question the ump as Hong Kong was taking the field, and the ump threw him out of the game.

The head coach then called his players off the field and officially forfeited the game. It was bizarre. He said, "lets just play a friendly game with the catchers calling balls and strikes". We decided to just have fun with it. To my surprise, the Taiwan players weren’t upset at all. I would have been irate if my coach gave up my semi-final game, but they were all laughing and having fun, so we did the same.

Either way, we had made it to the finals. Japan defeated Korea 18-0 in their semi-final match, so they would be our competition in the championship game. I had heard so much about the Japanese team, that it felt like an honor to have a chance to play them.


Day 4 - I woke up super early. I was so excited about playing Japan that I was ready to go 2 hours ahead of schedule. When I met up with my team, they did not appear to share my excitement. I sensed butterflies. We met up with our coach who took us through our warm-up. He then gave us a speech which was meant to motivate, but I think ended up scaring the bejeezus out of everybody. Were these Japanese players even human, or biological freaks of nature with superhuman athletic prowesses?

I was starting at shortstop again and Sam was to take the mound. We started doing relay drills which went pretty horribly. Throws were wild, balls were being dropped, and worst of all, a stray ball managed to hit our starting pitcher right on her throwing arm. She was in pain and in tears. This was not good. I saw the coach talking to her and I wondered if he was still going to have her start. She did not appear to be in any condition to take the mound. I wondered what was going to happen. I felt great physically, and could probably switch gears in time to start the game. I prepped myself mentally just in case he decided to make a pitching change, but he went ahead as planned.

The first inning wasn't too bad, though we blew an easy rundown situation which allowed a run or two to score. Tiff had a big hit but we were unable to capitalize on it. We left runners on and had a hard time finding the gaps the entire game. As the innings progressed, Sam's arm started hurting her more. A few walks and wild pitches brought in a bunch of runs. Her relievers struggled with control as well, and eventually our game ended in the fifth due to mercy rule. We lost 10-0.

I was disappointed with my hitting, or lack thereof. I went 0 for 4 with 2 ground outs and 2 foul ball pop-outs. I'd been working so much on defense the past few months, that I hadn't devoted enough time to my offensive game.

On the other hand, my defensive game was solid. I had a blast playing shortstop, something I don't often do in the CWBL, where I'm only known for my pitching. There was a ton of action out there with the Japanese at bat. I had another errorless game and was able to make some key plays.

We didn't take the loss too hard. Overall, we had a great tournament. The banquet was the same night, so we had to hustle back to the hotel and get ready. We met in the lobby and Tiff gave us all song sheets. All the teams had to participate in a talent show, so we decided to sing our own version of the AAGPBL song, from the movie "A League of Their Own". We rehearsed on the bus and sounded pretty awful. The banquet was a blast. We all brought baseball wearables to trade with the other teams. I scored a Hong Kong warm-up jacket, a Hong Kong polo shirt, and a Taiwan windbreaker. The mood was festive. All the teams did their talent show routine and we did ours. You can see it here on YouTube.

Don't worry, none of us will be quitting our day jobs.


Siteseeing - I stayed an extra 3 days after the tournament to enjoy Hong Kong. What a great city! The subway system is the best in the world in my opinion. You can go anywhere in Hong Kong and it's super cheap. The stations are immaculate and have nice shops and restaurants in them. All the signs and announcements are in English (with a British accent) and you always know how long it will be before the next train arrives (it's always 3-minutes).

I went to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. The ski lift contraption that takes you up was broken, so we took the bus instead. The Big Buddha was cool. Some of the players who saw it said it made them feel peaceful and calm, but we were too busy acting silly to notice. I talked my travel buddies into doing a hike with me in the mountains. We made it about a quarter of the way up before petering out. Just as we were heading down, 4 locals, who were at least 50 years old, passed us by, carrying 50-pound bags of sand, and heavy buckets balanced on sticks. Wow, did we feel wussy.

Just like Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Hong Kong has the Avenue of Stars. I got my picture taken next to Jackie Chan and Jet Li's stars. The food in Hong Kong is fantastic, if you go to the right places. The hotel breakfast wasn't so good, but just down the street, a lady steams fresh dim sum dishes on the sidewalk - super good and super cheap. A few of us became regulars at a restaurant called "Under Bridge Spicy Crab". The best crab and clams we've ever had - super good and super expensive, but totally worth the money.

The street markets are a lot of fun. My final day there, I hung out with my friends Rob and Jenn, who happened to be working in Hong Kong the same week I was there. We walked the markets and visited Hong Kong Park which has an amazing aviary. Jenn and I took a tram up to Victoria's Peak and got the most amazing views of the city. I lost track of time and had to rush back to the hotel to get my bags. Thank goodness the subway is fast. I was afraid I'd miss my flight! I made it in time to catch my flight back to San Francisco where I spent a few days with family members and caught up with Jim N.

What a great time. The Liberty Belles have been invited back next year and I'm looking forward to it already!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Bringing Home the Silver . . . this year . . .

Well, the Japanese lived up to their reputation, and crushed the North American Liberty Belles 10-0. A disappointing end to an amazingly awesome tournament. The Far East Bloomers are a great team and they played a better game than we did.

There was a lot of nervous energy amongst the Belles before the game began. For many of us, this was the most important game of our baseball careers. I was pumped. I played shortstop all day. Defensively, I had a great game, but I wasn't able to deliver on offense. I went 0 for 4 with 2 ground outs and 2 pop outs. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to pitch against Japan, but in the end it wouldn't have mattered since we never scored any runs. Overall, our team only managed 3 or 4 hits all day.

Japan didn't get a ton of hits either, but they walked a lot, and scored many of their runs on passed balls/wild pitches. Each team had a couple of defensive errors but we were never able to capitalize on theirs.

Even though we lost, I am still proud of my team and I feel good about bringing home the silver medal. Considering the fact that the North American Liberty Belles had never played together before, we did darn good. Most of us had never met one another until we got to Hong Kong, whereas the Far East Bloomers have been playing together for years.

I love my new teammates and my new coach, and I know we have the potential to bring home the gold next year. We're going to play as a team in a few tournaments this year to prepare for the 2010 Phoenix Cup. By then, we should be polished and primed enough to bring home the gold!

Now that the tourney's over, I have a couple days to site-see. I'm looking forward to a fun, adventurous time in Hong Kong! When I get back to Chicago, I'll post more about my incredible tourney experience. Bye for now!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Championship Bound!


The North American Liberty Belles are headed to the Championships!!!

We kind of played Taiwan today . . . We started the game with a great first inning on defense, then the Taiwanese first base coach questioned the ump's call and got thrown out of the game. I guess their honor was marred, so they chose to forfeit the game. Heavy politics.

Oh well, we get to play Japan tomorrow! I'm so psyched, the Japanese have consistently been ranked the best team in the world, and tomorrow we get to show them what we're made of! Win or lose, this has definitely been an amazing experience. We're gonna go out there tomorrow and play our asses off!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Phoenix Cup - Pool Game Results

I am thrilled to report that The North American Liberty Belles won both games today and have clinched the first place spot in our division!

We beat South Korea 10-5 and Hong Kong 18-5. I pitched the entire first game and Sam pitched the entire second game. Pitching here takes some getting used to because the umps zone is about the size of a peanut! They weren't calling any inside corner strikes or anything hip level or above. Nevertheless, Sam and I managed to give up only about 4 hits each. The bats were on fire today. I think every Liberty Belle got at least one hit, and we played aggressive on the base paths. There were a few errors, but once everyone got settled in, defense was tight.

In our division, we are the first place seed, South Korea is second, and Hong Kong is third. In the other division, Taiwan beat Australia today, and Japan had a buy. So Japan is in first, Taiwan is in second, and Australia is in third.

Tomorrow are the playoffs. We're playing against Taiwan and Japan is playing South Korea. If we win tomorrow, we'll be fighting for the Championships. I'll keep you posted!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Phoenix Cup - Day 1


Whew! It's been a busy couple days, sorry for the late updates. The Liberty Belles had a buy today so we watched South Korea defeat Hong Kong 14-4. Japan beat Australia 11-1 and Japan also beat Taiwan 11-0. We got some solid practices in today and yesterday and I must say, our team looks really solid! We inherited a great coach from Hong Kong . . . actually he's from Alaska, he spent time in Washington state, and now he coaches baseball in Hong Kong. He really knows his stuff and has done a fantastic job leading our practices. I took some great pics of opening ceremonies, and am contemplating the best way to post them. I will share them with you soon!

We have our first game tomorrow at 9:30am against South Korea. I'll be the Liberty Belles' starting pitcher. We'll have a 3-hour break, then we'll face Hong Kong. These are our only pool games heading into the playoffs, so we have to win both to earn the first seed in our division. I'll try to post results and highlights tomorrow night, but if you can't wait, you can visit the Phoenix Cup website for score results. Wish us luck!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Goodbye San Francisco, Hello Hong Kong!



I had two more great training days in San Francisco and was having so much fun I almost didn't want to leave, but the tournament was calling, so I said goodbye to SF and hopped a plane to HK with my teammate Kelly. It was a long 14.5 hour flight. The plane wasn't terribly comfortable, but it did have good movies. We finally landed and took a cab to the Newton Hotel.

I met three more of my teammates there - Tiff, Amy, and Sam - and we went downstairs to breakfast. The Aussie Hearts were there so we exchanged some hellos then scoped out the area. As luck would have it, there was a huge park right across the street from us, so we gathered our gear and headed over for our first semi-team practice. There were a lot of gawkers who couldn't believe there were American women playing baseball in their park.

Things were going pretty good until the park authorities came and told us we had to move to the other side of the park. We graciously obliged. This happened about 4 more times so it was starting to get annoying. A woman spoke to Tiff and almost had a breakdown, saying we were too dangerous and might hit a jogger. It was pretty funny.

We wrapped up our practice and went back to the hotel. Tiff, Kelly, and I went to a restaurant for dinner. We were trying to stay awake to overcome jet lag. I finally couldn't hang and retired around 10pm Hong Kong time. My roommate Robin arrived around 11pm. I groggily said "hi" and was out like a light. I slept pretty well but I'm pretty certain jet leg will hit me big tonight. We're hoping to get an uninterrupted practice in today. The rest of the team has arrived, so we'll get to see how we play together. Should be fun!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

New NCAA ruling

I want to share a new ruling by the NCAA which is a huge step forward in the acceptance of girls playing baseball. With a formal recognition that baseball and softball are not the same sport, perhaps more doors will open for women to play baseball at a higher level.

NCAA Baseball and Softball
Talking Points
February 2009

NCAA legislation governs NCAA amateurism regulations, allows student‐athletes
to use four seasons of competition in any one sport and limits outside athletic
activities in the student‐athlete’s sport (amateur team participation, etc.).

Previous interpretations of NCAA legislation stated baseball and softball were the
same sport for NCAA amateurism and outside competition regulations. Therefore, a
softball student‐athlete could not participate on an organized baseball team during
the academic year, for example, without jeopardizing her eligibility in softball.

The Women’s Sports Foundation asked the NCAA Committee on Women’s
Athletics (CWA) to review the issue of softball and baseball being considered the
same sport. The CWA asked the divisional interpretive bodies to reconsider the
interpretations.

Based on the information gathered, including a West Virginia court case that
treats the sports as different, NCAA Divisions I, II and III voted to reverse the
interpretations.

The reversal now allows a softball student‐athlete, for example, to participate on a
baseball league and vice versa, within other NCAA rules and bylaws.

Monday, February 9, 2009

San Francisco - Day 1


I arrived in San Francisco yesterday and had an awesome day. My flight got in at 10:30am. Jim Nemerovski of girlsplaybaseball.com picked me up from the airport and took me to a baseball facility about 5-minutes away called Futurepro Baseball. They have state-of-the-art pitching machines with simulated pitchers. The ball comes out on the pitcher's release, so you can time your swing the same way you would in a game! I met Ed Sickinger of the CWBL Fillies there and he gave me some valuable hitting tips. I talked baseball for awhile with Ed and the owner of the place, and when the time came to pay, he wouldn't even charge me! Talk about nice! Futurepro Baseball was a really cool place with the best pitching machines I've ever seen. If you're ever by the San Francisco airport, check it out!

After our session, Jim picked up his son, Jason, and the three of us headed over to Treasure Island. I met my Liberty Belles teammate, Kelly Bay and her dad at the cages and got some more hitting in. Then the five of us went to a baseball field, where we took some grounders, pop-ups, and live BP. It was cool to get to meet and practice with one of my teammates. Kelly and I hit it off right away and we plan on getting together for another practice today.

After we said our goodbyes, Jim showed me around town (he's the best tour guide!) I looooooooove San Francisco and it just so happens that his house is walking distance to just about everthing! After all that practicing we were pretty hungry, so we picked up one of my favorite foods - tacos! and headed back to the house, I met Jim's lovely wife, Maxine and his daughter (a fellow baseball player), Jessica. We chowed down and had some good laughs. Then Jim said, "you are welcome to stay with us, but I may have another option that you may prefer, let me show you." We hopped in the van and he drove me to the secret location. I was kind of apprehensive, "what is this place he has in mind? A hostel? Someone's garage? An old abandoned building?" We finally pulled up to a gorgeous house, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Wow! It is immaculate and also walking distance to everything! So I dropped my bags off and settled in.

But the day didn't end there. We went back to Jim's house, watched the MLB network (which I don't get back in Chicago. Curse you Dish Network!) and Jim prepared fresh Dungeness Crab . . . free baseball, awesome digs, MLB Network, dungeness crab! . . . am I in heaven? (Kevin Costner: No, you're in San Francisco). Jim brought me back to my new home and unloaded a bag full of gluten-free foods he bought for me. Wow, I couldn't have asked for a better welcome to San Francisco. Thanks Jim and Ed! I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Comment Me

I fixed the comment section on my page. Previously, you had to sign up for Blogger to leave comments, now you don't, so hit me up!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Time Has Finally Come

I can hardy believe it, but in 3 days I will be leaving Chicago and heading to Hong Kong for the biggest tournament of my baseball career . . . the 2009 Phoenix Cup! After training 6-days a week indoors for the past 4-months straight, I NEED to get outdoors and play a real game!

I'll spend 3 days in San Francisco, where the weather is similar to Hong Kong, for one last training bout, then meet my team, The North American Liberty Belles, in Hong Kong. I'm really excited to meet many of these gals for the first time, and sharing time with them on the diamond.

I want to thank all my supporters and sponsors for helping make this dream a reality. My goal was to raise $3,000, and I came awfully close. I raised a total of $2,200 which means I won't have to take out that loan!

Thanks to Line Drive Baseball Academy I feel more prepared for this tournament than I have for any other. I've been working hard to fix some flaws in my pitching mechanics. It was frustrating at times, with a lot of ups and downs, but I finally feel confident with where I'm at and better than ever!

I'll be posting game results and cool pics on this blog while I'm in Hong Kong, so stay tuned!

Jimmy Scott's High and Tight

I discovered this blogsite called Jimmy Scott's High and Tight. It's funny stuff and all baseball related, so of course, I loved it! I started reading, and before I knew it, it was 3:30am! Two days later, I found that I was the subject of his latest blog! Read this blog about me and I'm sure you'll have a few laughs. Or better yet, subscribe like I did and get your laugh on everyday!

Another Sponsor!



I am pleased to announce Flat Top Grill at 1000 W. Washington in Chicago as one of my latest sponsors! If you haven't tried the food there, run out your door and go! But be careful, it's icy out there!

Flat Top Grill was inspired by a restaurant in Hong Kong called Happy Valley. I may check it out while I'm there. At Flat Top Grill you can create your own stir-fry and soups with fresh vegetables, meats, noodles, rice, sauces . . . hungry yet? Run . . . don't slip . . . get your eat on!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

New Sponsor!



Many thanks to my newest sponsor, Lily's Talent Agency, Inc. They represent me as an actor, and were so kind and supportive to donate $250 to my cause. To view other supporters, click the Sponsor link on the right side of the page.

Another Newspaper Article

On January 29, 2009, the Niles-Herald Spectator published a newspaper article about me and the upcoming tournament. Click here to read.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A New Book For a New Year



Here is a great baseball children's book I found. It's called "A Glove of Their Own". Reading it made me think about my own childhood spent on the baseball field. You can purchase this book online at http://www.agloveoftheirown.com/. $3 from the sale can help support women's baseball. My friend, Jim Nemerovski who's working tirelessly to further the growth of girls and women's baseball, has an organization called Girls Play Baseball. When you check out be sure to click on the charity code GPB 423 from the drop-down box and Girls Play Baseball will receive three dollars from each book sold.